Automotive fan spacer



y 1970 H. A. SCHERTEL 3,520,663

AUTOMOTIVE FAN SPACER Filed Dec. 4, 1967 INVENTOR. Hora /0 H. 56/7 e/fe/ HTTORMEY United States Patent 3,520,663 AUTOMOTIVE FAN SPACER Harold A. Schertel, Mount Pleasant, Mich., assignor to The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Dec. 4, 1967, Ser. No. 687,744 Int. Cl. F04b 39/00; F16d 1/06 U.S. Cl. 29183 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A generally cylindrical, hollow, metal workpiece of uniform cross-section, with a body shell, a tubular core, longitudinal fastener-receiving channels formed in the body shell and ribs connecting the channels to the core and dividing the body into sectors, is improved by the provision of fastener blocking means integrally formed with the body shell in at least one sector to make erroneous insertion of fastening bolts or lugs in open sectors in short lengths of the metal workpiece instead of in intended channels thereof, either impossible or quite obvious. The metal workpiece cut to length according to engine spatial environment is an article that is useful as an automotive fan spacer or bracket for attaching the cooling fan to the water pump shaft flange.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The invention relates to an improved metal workpiece that can be cut into short lengths to provide automotive fan spacers for mounting cooling fans on the water pump shaft flanges of internal combustion engines and to such short lengths of the metal workpiece prepared for use as said spacer article.

Description of the prior art Metal extrusions have been provided heretofore that are readily cut into short lengths and the short lengths each used as a combination spacer and mounting bracket for attaching a cooling fan to the water pump shaft or flange thereon at the proper distance between the radiator and the engine. Such metal extrusion is generally cylindrical, hollow and of uniform cross-section, being provided with a generally cylindrical body shell, a heavywalled tubular core, a plurality of fastener-receiving longitudinal channels extending from end-to-end of the extrusion and longitudinal ribs connecting the core and the channels.

However, difficulty has been encountered in assembly line production work, in that bolts or lugs that are to be inserted through the aligned combination of a fan, the longitudinal channels in the spacer, and a mounting plate or flange on the water pump shaft, are too readily inserted through the open sector of the spacer instead of through the intended longitudinal channels, especially where the visibility is limited with the fan, and the flange on the Water shaft, each covering the open ends of the channels and sectors of the spacer.

Objects of the invention It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a metal workpiece that can be cut to preselected lengths needed for mounting automotive cooling fans on water pump shafts and is especially useful where various models of a given make of automobile require different spacing and wherein it is desired to avoid inserting the fastening bolts or lugs in open portions of the spacer element instead of into the intended channels.

Another object of the invention is to provide individual "ice fan spacers cut to length and machined at the ends so as to be readily mounted between the flange on the water pump shaft and the cooling fan.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood upon becoming familiar with the following description and the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the automotive fan spacer of the invention cut to a predetermined length and machined at the visible end to remove end portions of the body shell, the fastener-receiving channels, and the longitudinal ribs, leaving an end portion of the tubular core to facilitate attaching the fan blade;

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective of the opposite end of the fan spacer of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view in section of a spacer article similar to that in FIG. 1 showing different fastener blocking means formed with the body shell;

FIG. 4 is a view in section of another embodiment of the spacer article of the invention showing different fastener blocking means in the form of indentations in the body shell; and

FIG. 5 is a view in section of yet an additional embodiment of the spacer article of the invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention is an improvement in a metal workpiece of the type having a uniform cross-section throughout the length thereof; a generally cylindrical body shell; a hollow, heavy-walled tubular core; the body shell being shaped to provide a plurality of fastener-receiving longitudinal channels substantially equidistant therefrom; a plurality of substantially radial longitudinally extending ribs each respectively connecting a corresponding said fastenerreceiving channel to the core and forming sectors between adjacent pairs of ribs, said ribs having substantially uniform width in the radial direction; and each fastenerreceiving channel lying substantially in a plane along the radially outward edge of a radially extending rib. The improvement comprises: in at least one of said sectors between a pair of radially extending ribs, fastener blocking means integrally formed with the body shell and projecting inwardly toward the core, said fastener blocking means spanning a range of radial distances from the tubular core that substantially overlaps the range of radial distances of the adjacent fastener-receiving channels from the tubular core, and the lateral spacing between the fastener blocking means and each adjacent fastenerreceiving channel being less than the inner diameter of the channel.

Such metal workpiece is readily cut to a preselected length for use as an automotive fan spacer and the workpiece when cut to such length is an article considered to be embraced by the scope of this invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now both to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 the metal workpiece 10 when out and shaped as a spacer article is seen to be made up of a generally cylindrical body shell 11, a heavy-walled tubular core 12, fastener-receiving channels 13 formed integrally with the body shell 11, and substantially radial longitudinally extending ribs 14 connecting the fastener-receiving channels 13 to the tubular core 12. The improvement according to the invention lies in the provision of fastener blocking means such as the longitudinally extending ridges or bosses 15 which are integrally formed with or otherwise attached to the body shell 11 and extend inwardly from the said body shell. The ridges 15 are both positioned in a single sector formed between adjacent ribs 14. The ridges 15 extend inwardly in a radial direction sufficiently to at least partly overlap the range of radial distances of the fastenerreceiving channels 13 from the core 12. It is also essential that the lateral spacings between the pair of adjacent ridges and betwen either ridge 15 and the immediately adjacent fastener-receiving channel 13 are less than the diameter of the channel 13. In other words, for the fastener blocking means to be effective, there must be insufficient space between the pair of ridges and also between a given ridge and the nearest channel for a fastening bolt or lug to be inserted in the open sector at a radial distance from the core that is substantially equal to the radial distance of the channel from the core. If these conditions obtain, then a bolt or lug erroneously inserted cannot line up with more than about one bore or aperture in the flange on the water pump shaft.

The metal article or spacer as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 is provided with fastener-receiving channels 13 that are formed out of the body shell 11 with a longitudinal opening 16 towards the outer perimeter of the article. Thus each channel 13 is an open side channel or groove. In this case, the grooves are, in effect, undercut so as to be fastener retaining. Such channels are preferred to provide better visibility in making the insertion of the fastening bolt or lug.

The spacer 10, particularly as viewed in FIG. 2, has been prepared from a length of wrought metal by cutting about a four inch length therefrom and thereafter countering the tubular core 12 at the end 17, so that the core 12 is adapted to receive a portion of a projecting end of the water pump shaft (not shown). The opposite end of the spacer, as shown in FIG. 1 has been machined, as on a lathe, to remove an end portion of each of the body shell 11, the defining walls of the channel 13, the longitudinal ribs 14, and the ridges 15 so as to provide a projecting portion 18 of the tubular core 12 adapted to be inserted into a central bore or opening in a fan blade (not shown).

For most purposes it is suflicient to provide fastener blocking means in just one sector of the spacer since the misdirection of one fastener is usually sufficient to throw the rest of the channels out of alignment with the bolt holes in the fan blade and the bolt holes in the flange on the water pump shaft. However, for the sake of balancing the spacer it may be desirable to make the Workpiece symmetrical in section by providing identical fastener blocking means in a second sector diametrically opposed to a first sector containing fastener blocking means. If desired the spacer article can be balanced by making the body shell 11 heavier in the sector across from the sector containing ridges 15.

If desired, the fastener blocking means may take the form of a single longitudinal ridge 19 with or without balancing ridges 15 in an opposing sector, as seen in section in FIG. 3 wherein another embodiment of the metal workpiece of the invention is depicted, or, longitudinal indentations 20 may be provided in the body shell 11 as shown in FIG. 4 in which yet another embodiment of the invention is illustrated in section.

Still an additional embodiment according to the invention is shown in FIG. 5 in which arcuate segments 21 of the body shell 11 are provided which are each connected to the defining walls 22 of the adjacent fastenerreceiving channels 13 at points inwardly from the radially outward perimeters of the channels, the arcuate segments being disposed a radial distance from the tubular core 12 that is in the range of the radial distances of the channels 13 from the tubular core 12. The channels 13, as seen in FIG. 5, do not communicate with the outside of the workpiece but only with open sectors 23.

The metal workpiece of the invention is generally about 2 to 3 inches in diameter, and preferably is made from a readily extrudable structural metal such as aluminum alloy or magnesium alloy. Usually the metal workpiece is provided to the customer as it comes from the extrusion press, but cut into lengths from 20 to 40 feet long. Such an extrusion is generally cut into 1 to 4 inch lengths and finished at the ends, as in FIGS. 1 and 2, in providing the finished fan spacer of the invention. It is also possible to die cast the present spacer, or, to stamp it out of a malleable metal.

The metal workpiece and fan spacer according to the invention having been thus fully described, various modifications thereof will at once be apparent to those skilled in the art and the scope of the invention is to be considered limited only by the breadth of the claims hereafter appended.

I claim:

1. In a metal workpiece of the type having a uniform cross-section throughout the length thereof; a generally cylindrical body shell; a hollow, heavy-walled tubular core; the body shell being shaped to provide a plurality of fastener-receiving longitudinal channels substantially parallel to the tubular core and substantially equidistant therefrom; a plurality of substantially radial longitudinally extending ribs each respectively connecting a corresponding said fastener-receiving channel to the core and forming sectors between adjacent pairs of ribs, said ribs having substantially uniform width in the radial direction; each fastener-receiving channel lying substantially in a plane along the radially outward edge of a radially extending rib; the improvement which comprises:

in at least one of said sectors between a pair of radially extending ribs, fastener blocking means integrally formed with the body shell and projecting inwardly toward the core and spaced therefrom, said fastener blocking means spanning a range of radial distances from the tubular core that substantially overlaps the range of radial distances of the adjacent fastener-receiving channels from the tubular core, and the lateral spacing between the fastener blocking means and each adjacent fastener-receiving channel being less than the inner diameter of the channel.

2. The improvement in the metal workpiece as in claim 1 in which the fastener blocking means is a longitllidlinally extending ridge on the inner face of the body 5 e l.

3. The improvement in the metal workpiece as in claim 1 in which the fastener blocking means is a plurality of longitudinally extending ridges on the inner face of a sector of the body shell.

4. The improvement in the metal workpiece as in claim 1 in which the fastener blocking means is a longitudinally indented portion of the body shell itself.

5. The improvement in the metal workpiece as in claim -1 in which each sector is provided with fastener blocking means and in each sector the fastener blocking means is an arcuate segment of body shell disposed a radial distance from the core in the range of radial distances of the fastener-receiving channels.

6. The improved metal workpiece as in claim 1 in which the fastener-receiving channels each have a longitudinal opening formed through the wall thereof, each said opening communicating with the outside of the workpiece.

7. A metal automotive fan spacer which comprises:

a. generally cylindrical body shell; a hollow heavywalled tubular core; the body shell being shaped to provide a plurality of fastener-receiving longitudinal channels substantially parallel to the tubular core and substantially equidistant therefrom; a plurality of substantially radial longitudinally extending ribs each respectively connecting a corresponding said fastener-receiving channel to the core and forming sectors between adjacent pairs of ribs, said ribs having substantially uniform width in the radial direc tion; each fastener-receiving channel lying substantially in a plane along the radially outward edge of a radially extending rib; in at least one of said sectors between a pair of radially extending ribs, fastcner blocking means integrally formed with the 9. The fan spacer of claim 7 when stamped from body shell, said fastener blocking means spanning a malleable metal. range of radial distances from the tubular core that 10. The fan spacer of claim 7 in die cast form. substantially overlaps the range of radial distances of the adjacent fastener-receiving channels from the 5 f n s C t Lultmlar ctohre fanfl spatield tllrerefrom, anddthe slpaciing UNITED STATES PATENTS e Ween e as ener 0c mg means an eac a a cent fastener-receiving channel ,being less than the X et inner diameter of the channel; the tubular core being 2386030 10/1945 g 3ol 36 countered at one end to receive an end portion of 10 7/1950 Hu 287 53 a water pump shaft and at the end of the spacer 2'5l6896 8/1950 M 301-36 opposite the countered core an end portion of each 2635012 4/1953 R a mug 301 36 of the body shell, blocking means and radial ribs ,t. appaport n being machined off a short distance in the axial direction thereby to provide an extending portion of 15 ALLEN CURTIS Primary Exammer the tubular core adapted to extend into a receptive U C1 X bore in the central body portion of an automotive fan. 28752.04; 230-472, 246

8. The fan spacer of claim 7 when made from an extruded metal workpiece. 20

z gz g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3, 520,663 Dated July 1 4, 1970 Invent0r(s) Harold A. Schertel It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 33, after "substantially" insert ---parallel to the tubular core and substantially---.

smmzu mu sumo Atteat:

EdwardMFlemherJr. LAttesfing Offi er I Comissionor or tent! J 

